The relationship between depression and self-care in patients with type II diabetes

Background & Aim: Depression is a common situation in patients with diabetes that may reduce the ability of individuals to engage in self-care behaviors. The present study was performed to investigate the relationship Between depression and self-care in patients with type II diabetes. Methods & Materials: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed with convenience sampling on 200 patients with type II diabetes who were referred to Saqqez Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sanandaj, Iran, in 2012. The data collection instrument consisted of three demographic information, depression, and self-care questionnaires. Data were analyzed by SPSS for Windows (version 16; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) using chi-square and descriptive statistics. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Diet in 5-7 days a week (P = 0.002) and adherence in 5-7 days a week (P = 0.03) were significantly lower in patients with diabetes and depression than in diabetic patients without depression. In the areas of exercise, foot examination, and self-monitoring of blood glucose there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of depression in diabetic patients, using screening methods such as HANDS scale seems to be necessary for disorder identification and promoting self-care activities.